Conductor receives national award

Morihiko Nakahara, the Spokane Symphony’s charismatic associate conductor, has been awarded the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Award for the 2006-07 season.

This award was granted to only two associate conductors nationwide, the other being David In-Jae Cho of the San Antonio Symphony.

The award, named in honor of the legendary German conductor, is intended to highlight the importance of associate and assistant conductors to the future development and leadership of orchestras.

It comes with a $7,500 grant to the Spokane Symphony and a $2,500 grant to Nakahara, who can use it for professional development.

Want to see why Nakahara deserved it?

Check out the annual preseason concerts at Pavillion Park in Liberty Lake on Sept. 2, and at Comstock Park on Spokane’s South Hill on Labor Day. Nakahara will be sharing conducting duties with Music Director Eckart Preu.

Another kind of director

Meanwhile, the Spokane Symphony has named Randy Fisher as director of education.

This new position “signals the Spokane Symphony’s increased commitment to music education programs for both children and adults,” according to a symphony spokesman.

Fisher is a professional violist who has recently worked as education director for the Virginia Symphony, the Richmond Symphony and Young Audiences of Virginia.

String Quartet season

In other classical music news, the Spokane String Quartet has announced its 2006-07 season.

The region’s premier chamber ensemble will perform a five-concert series. The group consists of Tana Bland, Jeannette Wee-Yang and Helen Byrne. Violinist Kelly Farris is on a leave of absence this season and will be replaced by a series of guest artists.

Here’s the schedule:

•Oct. 8: Featuring the Brahms Quartet in A minor, with guest Julie Ayer on violin.

•Dec. 3: Featuring Borodin’s Quartet No. 2 in D major, with guest Misha Rosenker on violin.

•Feb. 11: A special concert presented by the Spokane Chamber Music Association, with Kendall Feeney, piano; Rosenker, violin; and John Marshall, cello, in a concert featuring the Ravel Piano Trio.

•April 15: Featuring the U.S. premiere of John Pickard’s String Quartet No. 4, with guest Meredith Arksey on violin.

•May 13: Featuring Bruckner’s Quintet in F major, with guests Stacy Wetzel on violin and Minor Wetzel on viola (both members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic).

All concerts are at 3 p.m. at The Met. If you act before Aug. 31, you can get season tickets for $68 ($55.25 for seniors, $34 for students). For ticket information, call Janet Napoles at (509) 276-1431.

Almira connection

I’ll bet you would never have guessed that little Almira, Wash., pop. 300, 76 miles west of Spokane, had produced an L.A. Philharmonic artist. Yet the above-mentioned Minor Wetzel is a native of Almira.

Mitchinson moves on

Dan Mitchinson, the program director and morning host on KGA-AM (1510, the Big Talker), will be leaving the station soon to take a new position as correspondent for “America in the Morning,” a syndicated radio news magazine.

He will also be filing stories for CBS News.

You’ll still hear his voice on KGA-AM, however, because “America in the Morning” is heard on KGA, as well as a few hundred other stations around the country.

Also, Mitchinson plans to stay in Spokane and do occasional fill-in work for KGA and the other local Citadel stations.

Radio races

Speaking of radio, the quarterly Arbitron ratings came out while Spotlight was on hiatus.

They showed KDRK-FM (Cat Country 93.7) and KHTQ-FM (Rock 941/2) tied for the lead. The rest of the Top Five consisted of KKZX-FM (Classic Rock, 98.9), KISC-FM (KISS 98.1) and KXLY-FM (Classy 99.9).

A Sandpoint reminder

The region’s biggest summer music festival is right around the corner. The Festival at Sandpoint has an intriguing lineup this year: The Spokane Symphony with “Hooray for Hollywood” on Aug. 3; Tanya Tucker on Aug. 4; Dick Dale with Los Straitjackets on Aug. 5; the Family Concert on Aug. 6; Nickel Creek and the Wailin’ Jennys on Aug. 10; David Gray on Aug. 11; Etta James, Ruthie Foster and Susan Tedeschi on Aug. 12; and the Spokane Symphony with “Happy Birthday Mozart” on Aug. 13.

Go to www.festivalatsandpoint.com for tickets and more info. Tickets are also available through TicketsWest outlets (509-325-SEAT, 800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).